100 Favorite Dishes: Lomo Norteño At Veracruz Cafe

Somwhere in here is a dish Jesse swears is really good. (We think he's just angling for an iPhone.) Luckily, his sense of taste is better than his vision.

Photo by Jesse Hughey

As a countdown to the Dallas Observer's "Best of Dallas" 2010, City of Ate is serving up 100 of the favorite dishes we crave, savor and hope to scarf down again soon. These dishes are in no particular order. Some are little known, others celebrated. Some are pricey, others can be eaten on the cheap, but all are delicious to the extreme. Don't hesitate to share your own nominations in the comments. More of the dish's tasty details are after the jump.

No. 26: Lomo Norteño At Veracruz Cafe

In the crowded field of Mexican restaurants in Dallas, you have to do something to distinguish yourself from the countless other places slinging enchiladas and fajitas. Veracruz Cafe, with recipes and ingredients inspired by the Mexican port city that gives the restaurant its name, does so with dishes such as its lomo norteño. This dish -- remarkably tender marinated pork loin heavily seasoned with smoky, earthy Mayan spices and a rich, spicy tomato sauce -- typifies the restaurant's "Vera-Tex" approach, which the menu describes as what would result if an Aztec, a Mayan and a Texan had a cookout using ingredients from Veracruz. Sides of creamy black beans and chilaquiles (fried corn tortilla wedges covered with smoky tomato sauce) fill out the plate. Shame the dining room is kept nearly pitch-dark (thus the grainy photo), because the entree looks just as lovely as it tastes.